It was a major step for the court, the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal, enabling it to start its first trial nearly four years after setting to work.

An arrest warrant for Thomas Lubanga was issued on 10 February, but kept secret until the aircraft bringing him to the Netherlands left Congo's airspace on Friday. Lubanga was arrested on 19 March, 2005, and imprisoned in Kinshasa, where he was initially to face national proceedings.

Instead, he will be tried for war crimes, including recruiting child soldiers, at the ICC's court in The Hague.